SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Mia Simpson registered her first double-double in an Indiana State uniform Friday night, but homestanding Missouri State pulled away in the second half to defeat the Sycamores 76-61 inside Great Southern Bank Arena.
 
Simpson finished 15 points and 11 rebounds, both of which were season highs. Keslyn Secrist led the Sycamores with 16 points, while Bella Finnegan added 13. Deja Jones dished out a career-high 10 assists and finished one rebound shy of a double-double.
 
The Sycamores and Lady Bears went back and forth throughout the first two quarters, with neither team leading by more than two possessions for the entirety of the first 20 minutes. Missouri State went on an 11-0 run early in the third to take a double-digit lead, but Indiana State's pressure defense created multiple easy baskets on the other end for the Sycamores to whittle the Lady Bear lead down to six. Indiana State remained within single digits midway through the fourth, but couldn't piece together enough baskets down the stretch as Missouri State protected its home court.
 
First Half
Finnegan got things going for the Trees with a deep three from the wing, and Secrist tacked on a three-point play as the teams traded early runs. Another three-ball from Finnegan, along with a three-point play from Simpson, made it a one-point game midway through the first quarter, with Simpson and Stahl adding baskets late in the period. After a back-and-forth opening quarter, the Sycamores trailed 22-18.
 
Baskets from Finnegan and Savannah White gave the Sycamores a strong start to the second quarter, with Simpson connecting on a jumper to knot the score at 24-all. Back-to-back buckets from Finnegan and Saige Stahl put Indiana State on top midway through the frame, with Stahl adding another layup to keep the Trees on level footing. A questionable intentional foul called on the Sycamores gave Missouri State late momentum, though, as the Lady Bears scored the last five points of the half to take a 35-30 lead into the intermission.
 
Second Half
Simpson scored the first points of the third quarter with a second chance layup, but Missouri State followed with an 11-0 run to push its lead to double digits. The Sycamores weren't going down without a fight, though, going on an 8-0 run of their own courtesy of Simpson and Secrist to pull within 46-40 midway through. Secrist and Davina Smith added late layups for the Trees, but Missouri State found its scoring stroke in the quarter to take a 57-46 lead to the fourth.
 
Free throws from Simpson and White, along with a three-point play from Secrist, got Indiana State within seven at 60-53 just over three minutes into the fourth. An 8-1 run for the Lady Bears followed, though, with a Finnegan three-ball breaking the run to get the Trees within 11, 68-57. Secrist and Smith converted layups inside the last two minutes, but the two lengthy scoring runs proved too much for the Sycamores to overcome in defeat.
 
News and Notes

• Deja Jones' 10 assists were the most for a Sycamore this season and the most by an Indiana State player since Ella Sawyer had 12 against Southern Illinois on Feb. 17, 2024.
• Mia Simpson became the fourth different player to record a double-double this season for Indiana State, finishing with season highs of 15 points and 11 rebounds.
• Missouri State has been outrebounded in just five games this season. Indiana State is responsible for two of those games, having gone plus-seven in rebound margin (47-40) in Friday's game. The Sycamores were plus-14 in rebound margin in the earlier meeting this season.
• Indiana State entered as the top shot-blocking team in the MVC in conference play, and Friday's game proved no different. The Sycamores registered five rejections against the Lady Bears.
• Indiana State turned 16 offensive rebounds into 19 second chance points in Friday's game. Four different Sycamores had multiple offensive rebounds.
• The charity stripe proved to be a major difference Friday, with Missouri State attempting 30 free throws to Indiana State's 15. The Sycamores were whistled for 29 fouls, compared to 16 for the Lady Bears.

 
Up Next
Indiana State squares off with Southern Illinois Sunday at 1 p.m. in Carbondale.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Women's Basketball, visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.